Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-05-16
DIR. Washington GLADDEN. preached ser

III. NteBHktou Nlduutii pttdCntu HFi
mon in Columbus, Sunday morning, from
the text: Give heed 10 reading list Tin
othy. Alb and gave especial attention TO
the general reading of public school pupils.
He had made it matter Of study and re
search. and had found out. from teachers,
what the children read and what were the
results of their reading. lie aScrrtaIned
that in the four grammar grades OF one "l
the Columbus schools there were PA: that
of these sixty-fve have library cards; SIN,
all in one room. read little periodical en-
titled Tho S,CisN Grass. devoted to nat
uEsl history. seven read the ~ N"b"in>,
seven the Wide A,ruL,, eight Five Cent
Novels" fifteen Dime Novels, twenty->iN
The Youths Companion, thirtN-tw" ''"i-
dsn Iny"SH thirty-sJN fi"idCn Days. forty
three Fiction" tnohody can tell Just what
that includesl. eighty Sunday-~chuol
hooks these can mostly be included under
the last head. and 1860 read tia, daily
papers. Dr. GLADDEN. gives the names "t a
portion of the tales read by
some of the boys: Suntl"wer sam
of Shasta, or Dradwn"d Dick.
jr.'s. Full Iland-a Tale of You Bet
The Double DaggerS, or Deadwood Dicks
Defiance: ''Deadwood Dicks Double, or
the Ghost of Gorgon'S Gulch'; Captain
Cracksh"t. the Great Brigand. or gypsy
Jack from Jimtown": BONANZA Bill,
Miner; OF Madame Mystery. the French
Forger'': The Boy Runaway. or the Buc-
cancer of the Brothers of the Plumed
l.ance": The Black Band of New York:
Bob. the Boy Detective, or the Mystery Of
the Missing Head" Now as to the fruits
of this kind of reading They are set forth
in the following paragraphs. written ny
teachers from their own experience:
"A. Il. reads trashy novels. Poljcc ca
-eftt and nothing else. His work in algebra
was Il per cent. and in German : per cent
in a recent examination. He talks tamil-
iarly about cops and getting 'boozy.' HIS
idea of life Is shows Kinks. and the amlISe-
ment of eyading cops. He smokes, ChewS,
plays cards. and shirkS all kinds of work.
&c. D.. aged fifteen, dreams away his
time in school. | took away from him
novel of the lowest type imaginable, in
which vicious practices were spoken ot
with hideous plainness.
II. F., aged fourteen, enjoys the PD'ir'
Gazette. His language l. foul. He is not
usually gifted. has no stability. He is
always ready to be tempted and to tempt
Others. He loves rOller-skating. shows and
cards; is familiar with gambling and is
said TO drink sometimes.
"'G. ii. has reformed as regards low litera-
ture. but the poison is still there. His
are not On his work; his mind can
not he acted on a. he seems 10 be dreaming
Il. J.. a girl aged fifteen. reads such
books. She went up the Olentangy on n
lark on the Fourth of July last. nd:insisted
on amusing people by shooting of a pistol
and evading the policeman who naturally
tried to stop her pranks. She boasts of the
little adventure and OF Others of a similar
nature. She exchanges reading matter
with the boys.
X. l.. one of my pupils, three years ago
read such books. Her mind. naturally
bright. was utterly ruined. She had an
look. began to dress Slorenly
and to dep"rt herself likewise.
M. n, a girl of loose morals. read
such books. Whether reading the trash
was the cause OF her morals. or vice
versa. | could not determine. Her lam
guage was vile. and although she tried
she could not comprehend her
studies. What there was Of mind seemed
to be utterly destroyed"
I'm a school in our city three years ago"
writes teacher. nine or ten boys organ
ized a club Ia go out West. having read
glowing accounts ot Western exploits. !
They sold the school books ui pupils in
their room and one boy stole si1 FROM Ills
while Others committed
ariOuS other theftS. Just a. they were
leaving the city they were caught and |
brought back